As a newbie that is trying to pick up the skills for maintenance/repair as the need arises, I'd like to tell my fellow newbies to fear not. You definitely want to work within your current skill range. If it looks like too big a task to tackle, you may want to contact your LBS. Better yet, find one that might let you sit in on what they're doing. If you have a local bike group, bike coalition, etc., that you're familiar with, you may be able to find someone in that organization that would be willing to walk you through what you need in exchange for a fee, meal, case of beer, whatever.
But as far as routine cleaning and troubleshooting small problems, don't fear the challenge. Personally, I'm finding cleaning my bike to be pleasant. After I ride a trail, I set it up at home and give it a good wipe-down at the very least. I also check for stress and such. I also run through the gears and all just to see if anything sounds funny.
As you get a feel for routine and basic maintenance, you might start tackling some smaller problems as they come up. Tonight I noticed my chain was catching in 7th gear in the rear. When I got back, I set it up and just kind of ran it through a few revolutions. It turned out one of the cogs on the 6th gear was catching the chain and tugging on it as it hit that point in the revolution. I first thought it might be bent, but I couldn't see any evidence that it was. So, the first thing I did was give the chain and cassette a good cleaning, but that didn't quite alleviate the problem. I put a little lube on the chain and that helped some, but it was still catching. So, I figured I'd be a little ballsy and rotate the tension knob on the derailleur. I guess it had gotten a little off and was pushing the chain against the 6th gear wheel when in 7th gear. I finished up, took it down the street, and everything seemed kosher.
The feeling was very satisfying, and just the chance to kind of chill out in the garage with the rain, a CD of classical music, and my bike was very relaxing. Of course, if it had turned out to be something over my head, I would have referred it to my LBS. No point in learning the hard.. and expensive way by having to haul your bike in after you mangled it in your efforts. Start small and easy and the skills will come in time. But, sometimes it pays to go out on a limb and say, "Let's see if I can fix the problem if I do.... THIS..."
Maintenance and repairs can seem intimidating at first, but start small and learn from those more skilled when you can.. and someday you'll be the ones writing these articles instead of reading them. It might seem like a chore, but you really can turn it into something enjoyable.. almost meditative.